Amor's Quick Crab Soup

Amor's Quick Crab Soup:

10 C Chicken Stock
1 Clove of Garlic, thinly sliced
1 T Grated Ginger
1/4 C Soy Sauce
1/2 Star Anise
1 Carrot, peeled and thinly sliced
1 Celery Stalk, thinly sliced
2 T Cornstarch, diluted in 1/2 C water
2 Eggs, lightly beaten
1 C Cooked Crab Meat

Directions:
1.  Bring the chicken stock, garlic, ginger, anise and soy sauce to a boil.
2.   Reduce heat and add egg; stirring clockwise until the egg cooks.
3.  Add the diluted cornstarch and bring to a boil again.
4.  Reduce heat and carrots and celery.  Cook for 5 minutes; until vegetables are softened.
5.  Add crab and serve.

Serves 6-8

Tip:  This is a good soup for leftover crab meat.

Wonton Soup

Wonton Soup:

Wontons:
1/3 Pound Ground Chicken
16 oz Shrimp; (8 oz peeled, deveined and chopped, 8-10 whole shrimp set aside)
1 t Ginger, grated
1 T Soy Sauce
2 T Rice Wine
1 T Scallions, chopped
2 T Water Chestnuts, finely diced
1 Clove of Garlic, minced
Pinch of Sugar
Pinch of Pepper
Dash of Sesame Oil
30-40 Wonton Wrappers
2 Egg Whites, lightly beaten

Soup:
8 C Chicken Stock
1 T Ginger, grated
1 Clove of Garlic, minced
2 T Scallions, finely chopped
6 Mushrooms, sliced
2 Carrots, sliced
1/4 C Water Chestnuts, sliced
12 Snap Peas
1/4 C Bamboo Shoots, sliced
1 C Bok Choy, chopped
Salt to taste

Directions:

1.  For the wontons; Combine ground chicken, shrimp, ginger, soy sauce, rice wine, scallions, chestnuts, garlic, sugar, pepper and sesame oil.  Let sit for 20-30 minutes.
2.  To make the wontons; place a teaspoon full inside the wonton wrapper.  Brush the edges with egg to seal and fold.  Set in refrigerator.
3.  For the soup; Combine chicken stock, ginger and garlic.  Bring to a boil.  Turn down to simmer.
4.  Add the carrots and snap peas. Cook for 5 minutes.
5.  Add the remaining shrimp, scallions, mushrooms, water chestnuts, bamboo shoots and bok choy.  Simmer for 2 minutes.
6. Add wontons and cook for an additional 5 minutes, until wonton wrappers begin to wrinkle and float.  Salt to taste.
7.  Serve immediately with soy sauce and enjoy.

Serves 8-10

Tip:  The wontons can be premade at any time.  They can be refrigerated for a day or frozen for up to 3 months.

Carrot- Apple Spice Soup

Carrot-Apple Spice Soup:

3 T Olive Oil
1 White Onion, diced
1 Clove Garlic, minced
2 Pounds Carrots, peeled, cut in half lenght-wise
7 C Chicken Stock
2 Fuji Apples, peeled and cut
1 T Fresh Ginger, grated
1 C Apple Juice
1/4 t Nutmeg
1/8 t All Spice
1/8 t Cinnamon
Salt
Fresh Mint, chopped for garnish

Directions:
1.  Heat olive oil in soup pot.  Saute onions and garlic; until translucent
2.  Add carrots, apples, chicken stock and ginger.  Bring to a boil.
3.  Turn down heat, and simmer for 45 minutes.
4.  Pull out four carrots and dice for garnish.  Set aside.
5.  Puree soup and return to soup pot.
6.  Add apple juice, nutmeg, all spice and cinnamon.  Salt to taste.
7.  Garnish bowls with diced carrot and fresh chopped mint.

Serves 6-8

Fact:  Carrots have more beta carotene then any other vegetable which the body converts to Vitamin A.   They are also more nutritious when cooked except if juiced raw.

Miso Soup

I always order this soup when we go out for sushi.  It is wonderful to start your meal.  It uses a "dashi" broth which is called a "Japanese Sea Stock". 

Miso Soup:

6 Oz Firm Tofu, cut in 1/16 inch pieces
8 C Dashi Broth (see stocks for recipe)
6 T Red Miso
2 T Yellow or White Miso
1/2 C Small Mushrooms (optional)
Seaweed pieces, cut in 1/8 inch squares (optional)
3 Scallions, thinly sliced

Directions:

1.  Heat dashi broth.
2.  Dissolve miso in 1 C warm dashi broth.

3.  Bring the remaining dashi broth, mushrooms and seaweed (if using) to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes.
4.  Add miso mixture and bring to a slight simmer.  Do not boil.
5.  Add tofu and scallions and heat through, about 2 minutes.

Serves 4-6

Dashi Broth (Japanese Sea Stock)

Dashi Broth:

8 C Cold Water
2 - 12 inch long pieces of Kombu, wipe with a damp cloth
20 g Bonita Flakes (about 2 cups)

Directions:
1.  Wipe the kombu with a damp cloth.
2.  Combine cold water and kombu.  Bring to a simmer over medium heat.
3.  Remove the kombu and bring to a boil.
4.  Add the bonita flakes and remove from heat immediately. 
5.  Let sit for 5 minutes and run through a strainer to remove bonita flakes.
6.  Keep in refrigerator up to 3 days.

Makes about 6-7 cups.

Bonita Flakes:

Kombu: